Project Lifeline 250 Aims To Strengthen Cybersecurity at Rural Hospitals, Starting in South Carolina
Rural, independent and community hospitals, while often small, face the same cyber risks as large U.S. health systems. With fewer resources, outdated infrastructure and the rising cost of care, a successful cyberattack can create extended downtime or even permanent closure.
To help rural hospitals bolster their defenses amid an increasing complex cybersecurity landscape, South Carolina is partnering with the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) and private sector cybersecurity companies on Project Lifeline 250, a six-month pilot program to connect rural hospitals in the state with resources to identify vulnerabilities and defend against cyberattacks. The pilot could later be scaled to protect rural hospitals nationwide.
In late October, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross launched the project in partnership with ONCD, the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (SC CIC) program, federal agencies, local governments and private sector partners such as Cisco, Cyera, Microsoft, Trellix and Zscaler.
DISCOVER: Here are five high-impact cyber actions rural hospitals can take now.
“South Carolina is not waiting for the next cyber incident to act. We are identifying risks, bringing partners together and putting practical solutions in place to better protect the services our citizens depend on,” said S.C. SLED Chief Mark Keel in a statement. “This proactive approach is at the heart of the work being done through the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity program.”
According to the announcement, the initiative will modernize rural hospitals’ approach to cybersecurity, including adding updated backup technology to improve cyber resilience while also identifying vulnerabilities and high-risk devices to protect critical care settings.
“Rural hospitals are essential to the health and well-being of communities across America, and protecting them from growing cyberthreats is critical to ensuring patients can continue to access the care they depend on,” said Chris Barry, president of U.S. public sector industries at Microsoft, in the announcement.
“As [superintelligence] raises the stakes for critical infrastructure, we’re excited to bring cyber expertise from some of the world’s largest and most complex enterprises to rural hospitals through Project Lifeline 250. When a hospital knows where its patient data lives and who can reach it, it can reduce the leverage behind ransomware. Every community should have that clarity, no matter the size of the hospital or its IT team,” added Yotam Segev, co-founder and CEO of Cyera.
